The first full moon of the new year is about to set the sky aglow.
New Yorkers are encouraged to look up to see la bella luna in all of her glory when she reaches her peak on Monday, January 13th at 5:27pm ET, according to reports from NASA. Should you be stuck in your evening commute at that time, you’re still in luck, as the celestial gem will remain full until Wednesday morning.
The January full moon (Wolf Moon) received its moniker due to the howls of the wolves heard during winter, per Farmer’s Almanac. The Old Farmer’s Almanac suggests that the January celestial happening received other interesting nicknames throughout the course of history, including the Cold Moon, the Frost Exploding Moon, and the Freeze Up Moon. Considering the Polar Vortex has bestowed the coldest January in 13 years upon us, we’re more inclined to call 2025’s occasion one of the latter options.
January marks a particularly busy time in our solar system, after the Quadrantids Meteor Shower that ushered in 2025. Additionally, we have the rare planetary alignment to look forward to on Tuesday, January 21st. Venus, Saturn, Neptune, Mars, Jupiter and Uranus will all be visible to the naked eye! (Though Neptune and Uranus might require the aid of a telescope.) According to NASA, Venus and Saturn will be visible in the southwest, Mars in the east, and Jupiter overhead.
Why not kick off the next 365 days with free entertainment from the solar system? We know we’ll be watching.